Inuyasha Drabbles
by MiyukiWolfire
Summary: A bunch of little stories I have. Some will be very short. Rated for Inuyasha's pottymouth.
1. Chapter 1: Miroku's Mistake

A/N: A few Inuyasha drabbles. I don't know how well this will turn out, but be easy on the flames, okay?

Disclaimer: Yes, I own Inuyasha and everyone else! Mwahahahaha!! Actually, no I don't. Inuyasha and all associated characters belong to the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. I only use them for my demented and idiotic story ideas.

**:-: Miroku's Mistake :-:**

Kagome watched the setting sun with obvious apprehension. Tonight was the night. The dreadful, dangerous night that came every twenty-eight days. The night of the new moon. The night when Inuyasha became human.

She sighed and turned away from the west horizon. Sitting down next to Inuyasha, she rested her head in one hand and looked around at the group. Sango was leaned against a tree, her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep, but resting while she still had the chance. Once the sun went down, none of them would be getting any sleep. As always, she was on guard against the wandering hand of a certain lecherous houshi. Her companion, the two-tailed demon fire cat Kirara was curled up in her lap, purring happily.

Miroku was sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the fire, poking it occasionally with a stick to keep it from dying down. Shippo, the little fox demon kit was sitting in Miroku's lap, dozing. Every now and then, he would twitch because of something he saw in his dreams.

Kagome's gaze rested on Inuyasha. He was watching the sun with cold golden eyes, one had gripping the hilt of Tetsusaiga protectively. Once the sun set, the sword wouldn't react to him, but he always kept it close nonetheless.

With a last scarlet burst, the sun sank behind the mountains and shadow enveloped the land. Inuyasha's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as his eyes began to shimmer and darken to blue. His hair slowly turned black and his dog ears lowered on his skull until they were normal human ears. The now-human Inuyasha sighed.

"Eight hours of torture left," he said, looking around. Kagome patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha. We're here with you. Everything will be fine," she said. He turned his navy-blue eyes on her and blinked.

"Feh. I never said I was worried," he retorted, pulling away from her touch. Kagome recoiled, her eyes sad.

"Inuyasha, Kagome never said anything of the sort. She only said that we're here for you," said Miroku reproachfully. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I'm going to walk around for a little while. I'll be back later," he said, standing up and striding into the woods.

Kagome stood up too and walked away in the opposite direction.

"Sango, you go after Kagome. I'll go and find Inuyasha. He's in no condition to go wandering around on his own." The demon slayer nodded and went after Kagome.

Miroku moved Shippo off of his lap and put him next to Kirara. "Watch him for me. We'll be back soon," he told the fire cat. Kirara meowed in agreement.

Miroku smiled and followed after Inuyasha. After a few minutes, he came to a stream and saw a figure with long black hair sitting next to it, gazing into the water. Miroku looked around. It seemed he had found Kagome instead of Inuyasha, and since Sango was nowhere to be found . . . . .

He grinned and crept closer to the unsuspecting girl. Reaching out one hand, he gently touched her bottom, stroking it gently.

"AHHHH!! DAMN IT MIROKU!!" Miroku opened his eyes as an angry Inuyasha whirled around to face him. As the realization of what he had just done hit him, he sank to the ground, clutching his hand.

"Oh Gods, what have I done? I've been contaminated!" he cried, plunging his hand into the water.

"What do you mean contaminated?!" demanded Inuyasha, his fist drawn back, ready to punch Miroku.

"I swear I'll never touch another black-haired girl again!" he said, his body shaking. "At least, not on the night of the new moon," he added in a whisper, grinning to himself.

The moral of the story is: never touch someone's backside unless you know for certain it's a girl. Even then, it's probably better to keep your hands to yourself . . . . .


	2. Chapter 2: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru

A/N: This one is about Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. What was their childhood like? Read and find out. In this story, the Inu no Taisho is still alive, Inuyasha's mom is dead, and Sesshomaru and Inuyasha live in the Western lands with their father. Sorry if Sesshomaru is OOC, but who really knows how he was when he was younger?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters. I only use them mercilessly for my amusement.

**:-: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru :-:**

It was a beautiful day in Feudal Japan. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Sesshomaru was trying to kill Inuyasha. Again. Sesshomaru hated his little brother, not only because he was a hanyou, but because he was forever trying his best to get Sesshomaru to crack. Being the young refined demon lord he was, Sesshomaru knew better than to try to do away with his little brother while their father, the Inu no Taisho, was around. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, the great Dog General was off settling an uprising on one of the borders.

Sesshomaru had tried many times to kill his brother, sometimes for the simple reason that Inuyasha had looked at him the wrong way. This time however, the little hanyou had committed a serious crime: he had tried to give Sesshomaru's mokomoko a haircut. Not many things could make Sesshomaru truly angry, but what Inuyasha had attempted to do was definitely on top of the list.

"Sesshomaru, I didn't mean to! I thought it was an animal that had attached to you and was trying to kill you!" Inuyasha said as he swung by one ankle. Sesshomaru had his foot gripped firmly in one hand, ready to drop the irritating hanyou off the castle's ramparts.

"You fool. Many times have you seen this on me, and yet you decide to act against it _now_?" Sesshomaru demanded, his hand tightening around Inuyasha's ankle, cutting off the circulation.

"Well, it never occurred to me what it was until today," he said carefully, trying to think of a way to keep Sesshomaru from dropping him. He may have been half demon, but even a full-blooded one probably wouldn't survive a fall from so great a height.

"Inuyasha, my patience with you is running very thin. You would do well to be silent until I can think of what to do with you."

Inuyasha paled. This couldn't be good. Normally, whenever Inuyasha did something to annoy his brother, their father would step in and break it up before Sesshomaru could disembowel him.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru, I won't do it again," Inuyasha pleaded, looking as pitiful as he could while hanging upside down two hundred feet above the ground.

"Little brother, please do not treat me like I was born yesterday. If I do not punish you for your wrongdoing, you will never learn," he said. He had to do something soon, his arm was getting tired.

"Please Sesshomaru, I _have_ learned, please don't drop me!" he said, swinging his arms around, trying his best to grab onto the stone wall, but Sesshomaru had him held too far out.

"Rest assured, I will do much worse than drop you if you continue this tirade against me," Sesshomaru said, raising one eyebrow.

"But I won't! I'll stop!" Inuyasha said again.

"Inuyasha, I will get it through your thick skull eventually to stop bothering me," Sesshomaru said, a slight growl in his voice.

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, where are you?" a deep voice rang through the corridors.

Sesshomaru winced and looked back towards the door. "Uh, up here," he called. He pulled Inuyasha back and put him down before the Inu no Taisho could find him dangling his brother over the side of the castle.

Inuyasha sighed in relief and looked back at his brother.

Sesshomaru glared back. "I will be rid of you one day, little brother. Mark my words."

Inuyasha grinned back. "One day, you will understand the evilness of that thing on your shoulder."

"Inuyasha, I hate you. . . ."

--

Miyuki: Okay, I know it was a little uneventful, but I thought the concept was funny.


	3. Chapter 3: White Day

A/N: My entry for deviantart's thattime-again fanfiction contest. Thank you for using my idea!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or co. All I own is the plotline.

**:-: White Day Troubles :-:**

"Kagome, let's go!" Inuyasha said impatiently, leaning against the door of her bedroom with his arms crossed.

"One minute, Inuyasha, I have to finish packing some clothes!" Kagome said, shoving three or four shirts into her yellow backpack.

"Give me a break, you never wear anything besides those strange green clothes anyway, why bother packing more?"

"If you behave yourself, I'll give you a surprise when we get to Kaede's," Kagome said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

He growled low in his throat. "Fine, but it better be a good surprise."

--

Half an hour later, Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting around a fire with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo.

"Okay, Kagome, what is this surprise you said you had for me?" Inuyasha said.

"Well, it's not just for you. It's for Miroku and Shippo too," Kagome said, reaching for her backpack.

"Hey, that wasn't the deal and you know it!" Inuyasha snapped. "If I had known it was for the monk and the brat I never would have agreed to keep quiet!"

"Sit boy," Kagome said calmly, unzipping the top of the backpack.

CRASH

"Dammit, Kagome!"

"For that remark, I shouldn't give you anything, but I spent so much time on it that I'd hate to let it go to waste." In her hands she held three packages wrapped in pink and red paper. "For Shippo," she said, handing him the smallest.

He unwrapped it, revealing a baseball-sized piece of chocolate in the shape of a leaf. "Wow, Kagome, thank you!"

"For Miroku, I made this." She handed the monk the second package. It was a slightly larger piece of chocolate shaped like a sutra with prayers written in white icing.

"Very beautiful, Kagome. I thank you."

"And, last but not least, for you, Inuyasha." She gave him the final piece of chocolate.

He opened it slowly. It was shaped like . . . . him? It was in the shape of his head, dog ears and all. Written across it in red icing was . . . . Inuyasha bit back a laugh. She had written 'Osuwari' on it.

"Well, aren't you going to say thank you, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, tilting her head to the side, feigning innocence.

"I hate this stuff, why would I say thank you?" he asked. Kagome smiled.

"Oh, you don't have to say thank you. In one month, you will have to give me a present worth at least twice as much as that chocolate."

"Do I have to?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes. If you don't . . . something bad will happen." Kagome knew it was wrong to lie to him, but she couldn't help it. She knew she had to say something to get him to respect White Day, and lying was the only way she knew how.

--

One month later, Kagome pulled herself up out of the well, looking around for Inuyasha. She had snuck away in the early hours of the previous morning, somehow managing to sneak past the sleeping hanyou.

"It's about time you got back, Kagome," a voice said from a tree beside the well. Inuyasha jumped down, glaring at her. "Who said you could go home?"

"I had to, Inuyasha. Mom wanted me to come home for a little while."

"Feh. Come on then," he said, walking towards Kaede's village.

--

Shippo met her at the door. "Here, Kagome, I made this for you!" he said, putting a wreath of flowers around her wrist. "For White Day!" The day after Valentine's Day, she had explained the tradition to everyone, and why White Day was important.

"Thank you, Shippo, it's the best thing I've ever gotten," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Miroku was next in line. "Here, Kagome. It isn't much, but I hope you like it." He handed her a small package. "I went out yesterday after you left, and managed to pick up these."

She unwrapped it to find two gleaming shards of the Shikon Jewel. "Wow, Miroku, thank you!"

"Did you get Kagome anything, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, hopping up on Miroku's shoulder.

"Yeah right, why would I get her anything?" he asked, turning his head to the side.

Kagome sighed in disappointment. "Well, I just came to give you that," she said, walking out the door towards the well.

A few seconds later, she felt a strong hand wrap around her wrist. She was spun around, and suddenly, Inuyasha kissed her.

"There. That's my present," he said gruffly.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Inuyasha. That was the best White Day present ever."


	4. Chapter 4: Height Difference

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any related characters.

A/N: Written for IY no Kakera's 100 themes on LiveJournal.

Set 1Theme 38, Height Difference.

--

**:-: Height Difference :-:**

Sango walked through the abandoned village of the demon-slayers, her eyes trailing over the empty houses. She smiled sadly as memories of her childhood came drifting back. There was where she successfully threw her Hiraikotsu for the first time, those steps were where she was sitting when her father gave her Kirara. And there . . . There was where she had had her talk with Kohaku, when he told her he was afraid of being a demon slayer.

Tears came stinging to her eyes as she remembered. It was the last time she really got to talk with him before Naraku . . .

-Flashback-

"_Hey Sis?" Kohaku asked, swinging his _kosarigama_ at the stone bowls set up on the posts. Sango was behind him, playing with Kirara._

"_Yes?"_

"_Do demons breathe fire and toxins as they say?"_

"_Sometimes."_

_Kohaku lowered his weapon and looked at the ground. "So it's true then."_

_Sango looked up and crawled over to him. "Kohaku, are you afraid of becoming a slayer?"_

"_N-no, of course not!"_

_She sat down beside him. "Oh yeah? I'll let you in on a secret. All of us are just a little afraid of slaying demons."_

"_Even you Sango?" he asked, looking up at her with wide eyes._

"_Yep. And not just me, but Father and all of the others too. But there's nothing to worry about because we're always together. The strength of our numbers gives us our courage."_

-End flashback-

She smiled as she remembered. Kohaku really didn't belong in the village, he was so kind hearted. He always avoided killing when he could. Her smile faded. But then that night . . . .

-Flashback-

_The sound of ripping flesh made her turn away from the giant spider she and the others had just killed. Her father and the other slayers lay in puddles of blood. Kohaku stood in the middle of them, a blank look on his face._

"_Why Kohaku? Why did you slay father and the others?" Sango asked, disbelief in her voice._

_Kohaku looked at her before lunging, throwing the kosarigama at her. She blocked it with her sword, and as he drew nearer, she saw a thin spider's web stretching from his neck to the lord sitting on the porch. As she looked at him, his face transformed into a demon's. He was possessing Kohaku._

"_You did this! You're finished!" she yelled, picking up the Hiraikotsu and running towards him. As she ran, a sharp pain sliced into her back. She turned to see Kohaku, the chain of his weapon in his hand. He was shaking. Looking up at her, he took off his mask._

"_Oh Sango, what have I done?" he asked, tears falling down his face. Sango dropped to her knees. "No! Sango!" he said, running towards her._

_Suddenly, arrows thudded into him, knocking him down. A small line of blood trickled down his chin from his mouth._

_Sango crawled over to him, the blade of his weapon still embedded in her back._

"_Help me Sango. I'm so afraid," he whispered as she lay down beside him._

"_Don't worry. I'm right beside-" Her words were cut off as she felt arrows hit her. She fell down on top of him, unconscious. _

-End flashback-

"Poor Kohaku. There was nothing I could have done to save him," she said quietly.

"But you did save me," a voice behind her said.

Her heart skipped a beat and she turned her head to see Kohaku standing behind her. "K-Kohaku!" she said, running over to him and throwing her arms around him. "I've missed you so much!" As she pulled away, she narrowed her eyes. Something had changed about him . . . . "Kohaku, have you gotten taller?" she asked. He _had _grown. He was only a couple of inches shorter than she was now.

Kohaku smiled and nodded.

"But how? I thought . . . with the shard of the jewel . . ."

"The shard is gone. After Naraku was killed, Sesshomaru-sama took me in. He took the shard of the jewel, then revived me with his sword."

"Why did he take the jewel? He knows that was the only thing keeping you alive!" she said, suddenly outraged.

"He took it so that I could live a normal life . . . with you. He knew that while the jewel was keeping me alive, I would stay the same age forever. But if he brought me back to life with his sword, it would be like I had never died."

Sango suddenly found she couldn't stop crying. "He did it . . . so you could be with me? But why didn't he send you back to me before now?"

"Because he knew that you all still had problems to resolve. He knew it would be too dangerous for me to come back before now," he explained.

Sango couldn't do anything but hold him tight. Her brother had come home.

--

Kosarigama- the bladelike weapon Kohaku uses.

End Notes: I was informed by my friend, NikkiKiraga, that in one of the later chapters of the manga, Kohaku is given life by Kikyo so he no longer needs the shard of the jewel. However, for the purpose of this story, before Naraku is defeated, Kohaku still needs the shard to survive.

Also, the dialogue in the flashback is as close to the anime episode as I can remember, so don't flame me if it's not quite right.


	5. Chapter 5: The Locket

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any related characters.

A/N: Written for IYfic's 'Empty' theme on LiveJournal.

**:-: The Locket :-:**

Kagome walked through the jewelry store, her eyes roaming over the cases of jewelry. It was close to the one year anniversary of when they had first met Sango, and Kagome wanted to get her a present. She smiled as her eyes landed on something that would be perfect.

Two hours later, she pulled herself up out of the Bone-Eater's Well, the package clenched between her teeth. She trotted of in the direction of Kaede's village, where Inuyasha and the others were staying the night.

"I'm back, you guys!" she called, pushing the reeds over Kaede's door to the side.

"Kagome!" a shrill voice shouted, and Kagome felt something hit her in the middle.

"Shippo, please, I haven't been gone but for a few hours," she said, prying the kitsune child off of her. "Here, I brought you something." She reached into the small bag strapped around her waist and handed him a bar of chocolate.

"Thank you, Kagome," he said, taking the chocolate and unwrapping it.

"For Inuyasha, I have Ramen," she said, smiling as she noticed the hanyou's ears sneakily swivel toward her.

She knelt down beside Sango, who was sitting next to the fire pit, stirring a cauldron of soup. "And I have something for you and Miroku, too," she said, handing Sango the wrapped box.

Sango took it, her eyes puzzled. "For me and Miroku?" she asked. Miroku was off visiting Mushin at his temple for the night, so Sango had a break from his constantly wandering hand.

Unwrapping the soft purple cloth from the box, she looked at Kagome. "What's the occasion?"

"It'll be a year tomorrow that you first met us," she said.

Sango gasped as she removed the lid. Inside, laying on a bed of dark blue velvet, was a locket. It was silver, with an engraved rose in the middle of the heart. A vine, also engraved, wrapped around the rose, so delicate it almost couldn't be seen.

"Kagome, it's beautiful," she whispered, lifting it up out of the box to get a better look at it.

"I noticed how you liked the one I gave Inuyasha, so I decided to get one for you."

Sango opened the locket gently. "It's empty," she said.

"Yeah, I know." She reached into her bag and took out a disposable camera. "I'm going to take pictures of you and Miroku, and then pick the best one to put into the locket. It brought me and Inuyasha together, maybe it'll do the same for you two."

"An empty locket, for me and Miroku. To bring us together."


	6. Chapter 6: She Was Gone

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

A/N: Written for IYCaptions Week two theme on LiveJournal. (Warning: extremely short.)

**:-: She Was Gone :-:**

She was gone. That's all there was to it. When he awoke that morning, he found the completed Shikon no Tama in his hand, and the beads of subjugation resting on his chest. He immediately took off for the Well, and jumped in, only to get a faceful of dirt. He sat up, horrified. The Jewel was with him, so Kagome couldn't come back, and now, he couldn't pass through for some reason.

He sat up, then jumped up to sit on the rim of the Well. He held the beads in one hand, the only reminder he had of Kagome. He didn't even get to tell her how he felt about her. That he loved her. All they ever did was fight, so she never could have figured out what his true feelings were.

He looked at the Jewel. That was right! He could make a wish on the Jewel for Kagome to come back! Closing his eyes, he wished as hard as he could, then leaned over the well, waiting for the blue lights of time travel. They never came. He thought about it for a minute. Kagome was from the future, and since the well no longer worked, that meant Kagome didn't exist. He would never see her again.

Leaning back, he let the first tears he had cried since he was a child overwhelm him. She was gone.


	7. Chapter 7: Link

A/N: A theme from a LiveJournal community. This theme is 'Link'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Link :-:**

This was it; the moment he had longed for. The moment when he would finally kill his disgusting hanyou brother. He stood over Inuyasha, Tokijin's deadly blade scant centimeters from Inuyasha's heart. He had waited _years_ for this. Inuyasha had finally been felled, and now lay in the dirt underneath Sesshomaru's foot.

"Do it, Sesshomaru. Haven't you been telling me since we were kids that one day you'd drive a blade through me?" Inuyasha said, watching him calmly. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Inuyasha had changed. It seemed now he was willing to die with a little honor. Before, when Sesshomaru had attemped to kill him, he had acted like a child, but now . . . he seemed almost . . . _regal_.

Sesshomaru shook his head. This was ridiculous. Inuyasha was a hanyou. A hanyou didn't have honor. So why was Sesshomaru suddenly . . . . _proud_ of him? Growling, he took a firmer hold on Tokijin's hilt. Inuyasha didn't deserve to live. He was a disgrace to all youkai.

Sighing, Sesshomaru removed the sword and stood back, turning his back on Inuyasha.

"What's your problem, Sesshomaru? Don't have the guts to kill your own brother?" Inuyasha asked, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

Sesshomaru turned his head to the side, fixing Inuyasha with one cold golden eye. "Make no mistake, hanyou. Had you not shown that you could accept your death with honor, I would have killed you." Although he didn't say it, Sesshomaru was linked to his brother . . . . and that would never change.


	8. Chapter 8: Time

A/N: Written for Live Journal community IY no Kakera.

Set 2 Theme 28: Time

Dsclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Time :-:**

They say the passage of time can heal all wounds, no matter how deep or painful they may be. Time can take away the pain of a loved one's death; it can close up all injuries, sometimes healing with a scar as a memory, sometimes healing cleanly, but healing all the same.

But for the dead, for Kikyo, all her pain remained, concentrated in her body, never to be released. For fifty years, she had been free of the pain of Inuyasha's betrayal, but when Urasue brought her back against her will, the pain returned, then multiplied when she saw the girl with Inuyasha, that _Kagome_. How quickly she had been replaced . . . forgotten.

Kikyo later learned that Kagome was her own reincarnation, but that was little consolation. It only made her more angry. Was Inuyasha satisfied with this replacement? This . . . _fake? _Inuyasha couldn't have the real Kikyo, so he wanted _her_?

Once Inuyasha had loved her, wanted to become human so he could be with her. But all that changed the day she died. As she promised, she had brought the Shikon no Tama to the place they had met the day before, but Inuyasha wasn't there.

As she had looked around, she had felt sharp claws slice through her shoulder. Falling to the ground, she dropped the jewel. A foot descended on her hand when she tried to reach it. It was Inuyasha. He took the jewel, telling her he had no intention of becoming human for her, then took off.

She died after shooting him with an arrow, but seeing him put into an enchanted sleep did little to ease the rage that had grown inside her. He was a dog, one that deserved to be put down.

At the time of her death, the pain disappeared. She was happy; relieved that Inuyasha could do no more harm. But that happiness hadn't lasted.

She was suddenly jerked out of the afterlife, brought back into a new body made of clay, graveyard soil, and cremated bones. Urasue had brought her back for her own selfish reasons. Kikyo had killed her quickly, but that only made the rage inside her grow. Inuyasha was responsible for returning her soul, had he not said her name, she would have remained the way she was.

She finally found out that Naraku had been the one who deceived her, taking Inuyasha's form and ultimately killing her. But even after learning that, she couldn't bring herself to forgive Inuyasha. She still wanted him dead, by her own hand.

Maybe one day she would find release again, but until then, time would stand still.


	9. Chapter 9: My One Wish

A/N: My entry for Live Journal's community At First Tweak's 'wish' theme. It won 3rd place in the contest.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: My One Wish :-:**

Everyone knows that the Sacred Jewel will grant the wish of the one who holds it, whether that wish is pure or corrupted.

I've often thought about what to wish for when the Jewel is complete. I've had selfish wishes run through my head, as well as selfless ones. Everyone thinks that being a miko, I'm supposed to always have pure thoughts. But I don't. I am human, above being a miko, and all humans house those kinds of thoughts, even if they don't always voice them.

I have thought deeply about what I want the most. After Naraku is killed, there will be people all over Japan who will still be suffering because of him. I could wish for them to find peace, freedom from the pain Naraku caused.

I could wish for Inuyasha to become human, so he could be with me. Another wish would be for him to forget Kikyo. What category of wish would that fall under? Is it selfish of me to ask him to forget his first love? On the other hand, it would release him from the guilt he feels.

I could also wish for Kikyo to be released from the hatred she still feels for Inuyasha. But if I wish for that, she might try to take him away from me again, if not for death, then just to be with him. I understand how she feels. She probably hates me because I have taken her place at his side.

Many possible wishes run through my head, but one stands out in my mind, and it will be what I wish for. I wish for Inuyasha to find happiness, even if it may not be with me.


	10. Chapter 10: Ornamental Hairpin

A/N: I've really got to come up with some better titles, ne? Anyway, this is another one for IY no Kakera's 100 themes.

Set 1, theme 21.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Ornamental Hairpin :-:**

Sango rolled over in the sleeping bag Kagome had lent her and opened her eyes. As she looked around, still disoriented, her eyes met a pair of dark blue ones. Of its own accord, her hand snaked out and connected soundly with a face.

"Ow! Sango, what was that for?" a startled Miroku asked, one hand over his stinging cheek. Was it his imagination or did Sango hit harder when she was half-asleep?

She blinked accusingly at him, wide awake now. "What do you think? You were about to grope me again, you lech!" she said, blushing slightly.

"No, no, I promise you, I wasn't," he said, waving his hands in front of himself in his defense.

"Then what were you doing?" she demanded, sitting up and crossing her arms.

"I was, uh . . . . there was a, uh, bug in your hair, and I was trying to . . . get it off of you," he stammered. Sango narrowed her eyes but lay back down.

"Whew, that was a close one," he whispered. What would he have done if she hadn't fallen for his cover-up?

The truth was, he was trying to figure out what color hair ornament would look best on her. They had just defeated Naraku, and Miroku wanted to give Sango a present to tell her that he loved her, without actually saying it. Kind of a pre-marriage present, in his eyes.

He sat down next to the fire and propped his head up with one hand. Then it occurred to him: dark blue would work beautifully with her hair. He reached into the front of his robe and drew out the prayer beads that had kept the Wind Tunnel sealed for the longest time. He felt incomplete without them, but he knew that they could serve a better purpose than staying in his robe.

Before sunrise, he snuck out of camp, telling no one where he was going.

A few hours later, after everyone was awake and Kagome was making breakfast, he returned, holding a small box in one hand.

"There you are, Miroku, where have you been?" Sango asked, standing up from where she had been sitting with Kirara.

"I just went out for a bit. I managed to pick up something for you," he said, handing her the box. She took it, looking at him suspiciously.

She gasped when she took the lid off. Inside was a hairpin in the shape of a crescent moon. It had a dark blue sheen to it, one that seemed oddly familiar . . . .

"Miroku, this is the same color as your beads," she said.

He nodded. "That's what it's made of. I took it to someone in the town we just left, and he shaped them into this.

"What is this for? It's not my birthday," she said, taking it out to admire it.

"I know. It's . . . it's a wedding present. I want you to marry me, Sango," he said, blushing slightly. When he looked up, he saw that Sango was crying. "What-what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, beginning to panic.

She shook her head. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words," she whispered.

Miroku stepped forward and took the hairpin from her, slipping it into her hair just above her left ear. "Thank you Sango," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I should be thanking you. You just made my dream come true."


	11. Chapter 11: The Silver Ribbon

A/N: Written for a fanfiction contest on Deviantart. The theme is 'Mother's Day'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: The Silver Ribbon :-:**

Inuyasha looked around warily before slinking through the trees, towards a place he knew almost better than his own self: his mother's grave.

He sat down beside it and put one hand gently on the tombstone, tracing its familiar characters. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander, and sleep enveloped him.

In his mind, he saw the surroundings like he was still awake, only they were more defined. He could clearly see the lines in the trunk of the tree that hung over his mother's grave, and could hear every rustle of the leaves. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure flitting from shadow to shadow, like a specter out of someone's deepest dreams.

He stood up. "Who's there?" he demanded, one hand going for the hilt of his sword.

"Calm yourself, little one. I mean you no harm," a soft voice said. The voice sent shivers up Inuyasha's spine. He hadn't heard that voice in over a hundred years.

"M-mother?" he stammered. The figure materialized in front of him. It was a beautiful woman with long black hair, dressed in a twelve-layer kimono.

"Yes, my darling one. It's me," she said, smiling.

"How? How can you be here when you're . . ." he trailed off, looking at the tombstone.

"It's true that I am dead. I am only here in spirit. I was granted a day to return to the living world, so I can be with you," she said, stepping forward, the silk of her kimono whispering as she walked. She now stood directly in front of him.

"Only for one day?" he asked, sadly. She nodded.

"Yes." She reached out to him. He looked up at her, expecting to feel her arms go right through him. To his surprise, he was wrapped into a warm hug.

"Mother, how are you doing this? I thought you were only here in spirit," he said, confused.

"I am. It's your love that gives me physical form," she said, hugging him even tighter.

"Does this mean . . . that as long as I love you, I can see you?"

"I do not know. But it would be nice, if so," she said, smiling at him.

He felt a tugging behind him, and he knew sleep was leaving him. "Mother, I have to go," he said, sadly.

"I know. Take this," she said, pulling a silver silk ribbon from her pocket, and tying it around his wrist. "With this, we will always be tied together," she said, showing him in identical ribbon on her own wrist.

He smiled at her, the world darkening around him.

Opening his eyes, he found himself gazing once more at his mother's tombstone. He sighed. "It was only a dream," he said quietly, raising one hand to brush his bangs out of his face. His eyes widened as he saw the strip of silver tied around his wrist. "Mother . . ." he whispered.

"Inuyasha?" a voice behind him said. He turned to see Kagome standing behind him.

"Kagome. Where have you been?" he asked, his tone less harsh than it would have been normally.

"I went home this morning. I told you yesterday; today is Mother's Day," she said.

He turned back to look at the grave. "Mother's Day . . ." he whispered to himself.

"Hey, are you okay? You're not acting like yourself."

"Keh, what would you know? I'm fine," he said, but his eyes never strayed from the silver silk tied around his wrist.


	12. Chapter 12: Attack of the Tentacles!

Written for IYFFC. The theme is . . . (cue dramatic music) TENTACLES!! Since I'm not into the whole rape and murder thing, I decided to take a humorous approach to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Attack of the Tentacles! :-:**

Kagome looked around before slipping off her shirt, revealing the top half of her light blue bathing suit. They had been traveling for weeks to get to the ocean in time for the beginning of summer. She had brought fireworks and watermelons just for the event.

"Kagome, why do you wear such revealing clothes?" Miroku asked, coming to stand beside the miko.

"They aren't _revealing_!" she huffed, stepping into the salty water.

"Oh yes they are. I don't get why you'd go around in that all day, but whenever Shippo gets ahold of that bra thing, you throw a fit. They look exactly the same," Inuyasha said, sitting well out of range of the cold surf.

"They're totally different," Kagome said icily, digging in her backpack for an inflatable pool toy for Shippo. "For one, a bra is WAY more personal."

"What are bras for, Kagome?" the kitsune asked, taking the small raft from her.

"They're . . . uh . . . . nothing you need to worry about," she said.

Shippo shrugged and leapt into the water.

"Hey, Sango, come on out!" Kagome called. There was a rustling in the bushes a few meters away from the beach, and Sango came out, wearing a pink and purple bikini.

Miroku's eyes bugged out and he began walking towards her.

"My, Sango, those garments flatter your form even more than your Slayer outfit!' he said.

"Stuff it, monk," she growled, walking past him, one hand over her shoulder, still holding her Hiraikotsu.

Kagome laughed. Miroku never changed. Suddenly she stiffened as something slimy brushed against her leg. Shuddering, she looked down into the clear water, but didn't see anything. She shrugged it off as a passing strand of seaweed and continued to watch Miroku's advances on Sango.

A few seconds later she let out a bloodcurdling shriek; something had attached to her leg!

Inuyasha leapt up and ran over to her, completely forgetting his aversion to ocean water (the salt got into his long hair and tangled it up terribly). "Kagome, what's the matter?" he demanded, one hand going to the hilt of his sword.

"Something's on my leg!" she yelled, shivering. She ran towards shore, and the attachment let go, finding purchase on Inuyasha's face.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw what it was: a small black octopus. He tried to pry it off, but the little creature only held on tighter with its many arms.

"ARRGGHH! LEGGO!" he said, now using both hands to try and get the slimy sea creature off.

Miroku was rolling on the ground laughing. "Looks like Inuyasha made a friend!" he said, pointing.

"Piss off, Miroku," Inuyasha growled.

"Kagome was afraid of this thing?" Shippo asked, walking up to Inuyasha and inspecting the octopus.

"I didn't know what it was," Kagome said defensively. "You would have freaked out too if something slimy just grabbed your leg all of a sudden."

"Poor Inuyasha, it seems to like him," Sango said, following Kagome out of the water to watched Inuyasha struggle.

A few hours later, the group sat around the fire they had built, watching Kagome set off the fireworks.

Inuyasha had given up trying to get the octopus off, and now lay on his back, watching the sky.

"Well guys, I daresay this will be a summer to remember!" Kagome said, laughing.


	13. Chapter 13: Bellflowers and Roses

A/N: Written for the LJ community WiltedRose, a Kikyo-centric community. This week's theme is 'flowers'

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Bellflowers and Roses :-:**

Kikyo knelt down among the small silver flowers and sighed. Running one hand over the velvety petals, she picked one and held it up to her nose, taking in the sweet scent. Bellflowers; her namesake. When she was alive, she loved these flowers; their scent, their color, everything. Although she could smell the sweet scent, it no longer brought her the joy it once did.

But after her resurrection, she could only feel hatred and sadness. Things like the subtle fragrance of her once-favorite flower were beyond her reach now.

She stood back up and walked into the woods where her soul-collectors waited for her. She moved through the trees like a ghost; indeed, that's what she was.

She stopped and looked down. There in the sunlight was a single red rose. But the sight of it made her heart ache. Although it was nearly summer, the rose was encased in ice. Like her life, it was frozen in time, never to be reawakened.

Bending over, she touched it gently. Yes, it was real. She didn't want to pick it, because if she broke the stem on it, her last chance at a normal life would be over. If this rose had a chance at life, frozen as it was, so did she.

The warm light shone down on her, bathing her in an almost ethereal glow. With it shining down on her, warming her body as it did, she felt almost alive again. Her soul-collectors kept to the shadows; they shunned the light, preferring to lurk in the darkness. Only their telltale silver glow reminded her of who she was now.

Kikyo knew that she wasn't alive; she could never return to that life again. But seeing this rose, frozen, yet beautiful, reminded her that all things end, no matter how glorious they are. But, with ending, it opens up a whole new world of potential.


	14. Chapter 14: Streets of Heaven

A/N: My newest installation. It kind of hurt to write this. It was originally intended for LJ's IYFFC, but I had to put it up here. It won first place in the contest.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the song mentioned in the story. Inuyasha and co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi, and the song, _Streets of Heaven_, belongs to Sherrie Austin. No copyright infringement intended.

**:-: Streets of Heaven :-:**

_Hello God, it's me again. 2:00 a.m., Room 304.  
Visiting hours are over, time for our bedside tug of war.  
This sleeping child between us may not make it through the night.  
I'm fighting back the tears as she fights for her life.  
Well, it must be kind of crowded,  
On the streets of Heaven.  
So tell me: what do you need her for?  
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.  
But right now I need her so much more.  
She's much too young to be on her own:  
Barely just turned seven.  
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?_

Sesshomaru sat beside Rin's bed, holding her pale hand in his. They had just been told that her leukemia had returned in full force. She was sleeping; her face devoid of the pain and sickness that had plagued her for the past three months. He looked at the monitors around her, monitors that he had come to know very well. He heartbeat was slow, not only because she was asleep, but because she was weak.

He was so afraid she wasn't going to make it. The doctors said that she only had a few more weeks, if that. If a virus hit her now, she wouldn't have the strength to fight it. Tears stood in his golden eyes as he ran a thumb lightly across the back of her icy hand.

Her life the past year had been full of doctor's visits, shots, chemo, and sickness. She had even spend her seventh birthday in the hospital, getting treatments. And in spite of that, the cancer had still come back.

_Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made,  
As she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake?  
She wants to ride a pony when she's big enough.  
She wants to marry her Daddy when she's all grown up. _

The nurses had allowed a small family party for Rin, hoping that it might cheer her up. Kagura, her mother, had brought a beautiful vanilla cake with a single red rose in the center.

"Blow out the candles, sweetie," Kagura said, sitting down on the bed next to her daughter. Rin thought for a moment before smiling and blowing out all but one candle.

"Rin, you forgot one," Sesshomaru said, smoothing her black hair away from her face.

"No, Daddy, I want you to have that one. I made my wishes, and now you get one too," she said.

Sesshomaru stood up and turned his back so she wouldn't see his tears. Through all her pain, she was still as selfless as ever. Turning back around, he smiled at her. "No, little one, make your last wish. My wish has already came true: you became my daughter."

Rin nodded and blew out the remaining candle. 'Please . . . don't let Daddy and Mommy be sad any more.'

_Well, it must be kind of crowded,  
On the streets of Heaven.  
So tell me: what do you need her for?  
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.  
But right now I need her so much more.  
She's much too young to be on her own:  
Barely just turned seven.  
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?_

Sesshomaru smiled as he remembered that day. She had been stronger then; now, she could barely sit up. He and Kagura had taken turns every night sitting with her, never leaving her alone in case she . . . .

He cut that thought off. He knew he would have to face that reality eventually; but right now he just wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. Seven years wasn't nearly long enough to be a father.

_Lord, don't you know she's my angel  
You got plenty of your own  
And I know you hold a place for her  
But she's already got a home  
Well I don't know if you're listenin'  
But praying is all that's left to do  
So I ask you Lord have mercy, you lost a son once too_

He sat down on the bed with her and pulled her close, the tears now falling freely onto his shirt. No one should have to attend their child's funeral. But he knew that death would release her from the almost constant pain she felt. Looking down at her, he couldn't help but remember when she was well; before this nightmare ever began. Why did she have to go? She was perfectly happy here. She hadn't even been able to come home to see what they had gotten her for her birthday. They had completely remodeled her room, getting her a bigger bed, and even a new TV.

_And it must be kind of crowded,  
On the streets of Heaven.  
So tell me: what do you need her for?  
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.  
But right now I need her so much more.  
Lord, I know once you've made up your mind,  
There's no use in beggin'.  
So if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways,  
And would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven._

Sesshomaru looked up in horror as he heard her heart monitor beginning to slow. He looked down at her, but she slept on, oblivious to the chaos around her as doctors and nurses came swarming into the room.

"Please no, not my daughter," he whispered, crying so hard he could barely see. He still hadn't let go of her hand, and he felt her pulse get weaker with each second. He knew it was now time to let go. She was going to a better place, where she would be taken care of. But oh, how he would miss her.

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead gently. "Goodbye my sweet angel."

_The streets of Heaven. _

To his surprise, she opened her eyes, free from pain for this first time in months. "It's okay Daddy, don't cry. It doesn't hurt anymore. I have to go now, okay? I'll see you soon." She closed her eyes, and her hand fell limp from his grip.


	15. Chapter 15: The Sun Always Returns

A/N: Written for LiveJournal's IY no Kakera community.

Set 1 theme 94

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha of any related characters.

**:-: The Sun Always Returns :-:**

I remember when rain was a rarity around here. For three years, there was a drought. Streams failed, crops died, wells dried up. A famine swept over the land, bad enough for villages to turn to large towns for food, but not bad enough to kill anyone.

Now, the rain seems never-ending. Day after day, there's nothing but grey clouds and gloomy weather. I know rain is considered a blessing, but too much can be a curse. It makes people depressed, makes them think they'll never see the sun again when it rains for this long without stopping.

I remember some of the times I thought sunlight was only a myth. The day Mother died. She was a taijiya as well. She was famous in the surrounding villages; the first female demon slayer since Midoriko. Soon after Kohaku was born, she went out to rid a nearby village of a demon. The villagers failed to tell her how dangerous the demon was, so she went alone, thinking she could handle it.

The demon had injured her badly, and if that wasn't enough, injected her with poison. She died soon after. That day, it began raining; cold cruel rain that sucked the warmth out of you. It rained for two weeks. I wept with the rain, my tears just as bitter as the drops that fell from the sky. It seemed the heavens themselves were weeping for Mother.

Finally, the rain abated, and with it, the worst of my grief. For the first time in what felt like forever, I saw the sun. When I saw it, I could have sworn I felt Mother's arms wrap around me.

"_Remember Sango, no matter how hard it rains, the sun will always return. So keep your eyes on the sky, waiting for that first ray of sunlight, for it will always come back." _


	16. Chapter 16: Marks of War

A/N: Written for IY no Kakera.

Set 2 theme 2

**:-: Marks of War :-:**

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Aari (and the version of Kikyo's mom mentioned in this story). Everything else belings to Rumiko Takahashi.

"Lady Kikyo! Look, I found some!" a young girl said, running up to Kikyo and handing her a handful of dark green plants.

Kikyo smiled and knelt down, taking the herbs from the young girl. "Thank you Aari, I've been looking everywhere for these," she said, ruffling the girl's short hair. "Now, can you tell me what they're for?"

The girl thought for a minute before replying. "The roots can be ground up and mixed with water to help draw infection out of a wound, and the leaves are put on the wound directly to cut back on scarring," she said, nodding as she spoke.

"Yes, that's exactly right. And be sure to remove the seeds before you use it for anything. This herb is very hard to find, so we need the seeds to replant in the gardens," Kikyo reminded her.

"Lady Kikyo? Can I ask you something?" Aari asked, picking a small flower and twirling it idly as the thought.

"Of course. What is it?" Kikyo asked, sitting down with the little girl. She could tell something weighed heavily on the child's mind.

"Being a miko, you fight youkai, right?" she asked, looking up into the older woman's eyes.

Kikyo nodded. "Of course."

"And . . . sometimes, you get hurt, right? Not lose or anything, just get hurt," Aari said. This was a touchy subject for her, as her parents had been killed in a youkai attack a few months ago, before Kikyo had appeared and destroyed the youkai. The previous priest had died just prior to the attack, and without anyone to defend the village, the nearby youkai thought it the perfect moment to attack.

"Aari, no one can win every battle. It's impossible, no matter how good a fighter you are. There's always going to be someone stronger than you, and one day, you'll come up against them. I have lost to youkai before," she explained.

"You've lost?" Aari asked incredulously.

"Yes, I have."

"Then, have you ever been injured?"

"Yes, I have," she said quietly, one hand going to her shoulder, where she still bore the claw marks that Naraku gave her on the day she died. "I was thirteen when I began my training as a miko. And it was also the year I received my first scar . . ."

--

Thirteen year old Kikyo walked out of the hut she lived in with her mother and baby sister Kaede. She was dressed in the red and white silks of a miko for the very first time. Grabbing her bow from where it rested against the wall, she slung it and the quiver of arrows over her shoulder and made her way out to the Bone-Eater's Well to practice her aim.

She had just learned how to use purified arrows, and she was hoping to find a small youkai to practice on.

Taking aim at a nearby tree, she suddenly froze. There was a youkai nearby. She smiled slightly. Moments later, it appeared. It was about three feet tall, with dark grey pebbled skin, a long whip-like tail, and blazing yellow eyes. To Kikyo, it looked for all the world like a snake with legs. It was larger than she would have liked, but she wasn't in a position to be choosy about youkai.

Silently, she drew an arrow and put it to the bow. With a reverberating hum, the arrow flew towards the youkai.

The youkai leaned back and the arrow whizzed harmlessly past. It turned it's cold yellow eyes on her and advanced, growling.

Kikyo took a step back, then readied another arrow. It glowed blue as she released it, and it sped toward the youkai. She gasped as she felt hot claws rip into her side, just below her ribs. Looking down, she saw blood staining the white cloth. The demon had injured her. Looking back up, she saw the smoking remains of the demon lying a couple of feet away from her. Apparently it had scratched her just before being killed.

Her vision wavered, and she dropped to her knees, her side stinging as if it were on fire. It seemed the youkai's claws were poison.

Blackness swept over her as she fainted.

A few hours later, she awoke in her home, her mother sitting next to her, watching anxiously. Kaede sat in her lap, playing with a rattle Kikyo had given her not too long ago.

"How are you feeling, sweetling?" Kikyo's mother asked, reaching forward to place a cool hand on Kikyo's forehead. "Your temperature is going down since I gave you the feverfew," she said.

Kikyo's hand went to her side, where she felt a bandage wrapped around her. Her mother brushed her hair out of her face.

"It's okay. The wound wasn't deep and the poison has been drawn out," she assured her daughter. "You'll be up and around in a couple of days. There will be a scar, but it'll be small. Nothing to worry about."

After that day, Kikyo never underestimated a demon's strength, no matter how small they were.

--

"Do you still have the scar, Kikyo?" Aari asked.

"Yes, I do," she said, lifting up the side of her shirt and showing the girl three white lines running parallel to each other. "I will carry that scar for the rest of my days." Once again she remembered the deep scar on her shoulder, another scar that would never disappear; the mark of her sin: letting the bandit Onigumo live.


	17. Chapter 17: Kikyo's Suffering

A/N: Written for 30Shards. Theme: Jewel

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

**:-: Kikyo's Suffering :-:**

It was storming the night the Slayers came to the village. As I stepped out into the chilling rain, a dark aura overwhelmed me. The head slayer held something in his hand, a small jewel that was glowing purple. The aura emanated from it.

"Priestess Kikyo, please accept this, the Sacred Shikon no Tama," he said, offering the jewel to me.

"You call this sacred?" I asked skeptically.

"It was corrupted by a demon. You are the only one who can purify it," he explained. "Many demons will come after it, and humans too. It can grant their deepest wish, be it pure or corrupted. If someone with an evil heart makes a wish on it, it's powers of darkness will increase a hundred times over. But is someone with a pure heart makes a wish, it shall be completely purified, and cease to exist."

I thought about it for a minute, then took it. I could feel an almost imperceptible hum coming from it. As I watched, the purple glow faded just a bit, revealing a silvery-pink color; the true color of the Sacred Jewel.

"I shall accept this, and protect it with my life," I said, holding it close to my heart.

The slayers bowed and turned to go.

I took the tainted jewel to the temple and placed it on a small table. Lighting incense, I knelt down to pray. A light scraping noise caught my attention and I turned to see a small mouse youkai scurrying toward me and the jewel. _Many demons will come after it. _Remembering the slayer's words, I stood up and grabbed a long pole resting against the wall.

As the little youkai drew nearer, I sent my spiritual powers into the pole, making it glow a light blue. I sent it crashing down onto the youkai, purifying it.

I sighed. "Maybe it was a bad idea to accept the jewel," I said to myself, propping the pole back up against the wall. "Well, at least it will soon be purified."

Little did I know that this was just the beginning of my suffering.

--

A/N: Okay guys, anyone have a drabble/oneshot they want me to write? Let me know the plotline and the theme number, and I'll write it for you! For more information, go to the link in my profile.


	18. Chapter 18: Day of Disaster

A/N: Written for IY no Kakera. Written for Frog Lady. Thank you for all your comments!

Set 2 theme 12

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me.

**:-: Day of Disaster :-:**

It began like a normal day. There were no clouds in the sky, no dark aura as a foreshadow of events to come.

This was the day, the day Inuyasha promised to become human. The sun was barely coming over the horizon when I took the jewel from its pedestal in the temple. Inuyasha and I had talked about this day for weeks. For nine years I had been a miko, three of those were spent protecting the jewel.

My whole life was centered around it. Day in and day out, I slew demons trying to get at it. But there was one demon I couldn't kill, no matter how many times I tried. After many weeks of talking and pinning him to trees, Inuyasha and I had finally become friends, and after that, we fell in love. I knew about the ridicule he had endured, and I knew how I could end it for him.

When I mentioned to him that I could end his pain, he seemed keen on the idea. We finally agreed to meet near the Bone-Eater's Well, and Inuyasha would make his wish on the jewel.

Looking around in the predawn gloom, I saw that Inuyasha wasn't there yet. Holding the jewel closer to my body, I took a few more steps.

Suddenly, my right shoulder erupted in a burst of pain. I fell to the ground, the sleeve of my kimono rapidly turning scarlet. As I reached for the jewel, a foot descended on my hand. A chill went up my spine as I saw the red cloth above the foot. _Inuyasha._

"I have no desire whatsoever to become human. But I shall take the Shikon Jewel nonetheless. This jewel is about to absorb a great deal of pain and suffering when I use it to slaughter the villagers," he told me, reaching down and picking up the jewel.

My eyes narrowed. "You traitor," I whispered at his retreating form. He didn't turn around. "TRAITOR!"

After he disappeared, I pulled myself up. Leaving a trail of blood, I went back to the village and got my bow and arrows. I would not let him get away with this! He tricked me, injured me, _lied_ to me! And now he was going to kill everyone in the village. For what? So he could be come a full demon. A despicable demon with no thought but to kill.

I realized as I followed him that I was a fool to trust him. He may have been half human, but obviously his demon half was stronger. He told me that he loved me, lured me into a false sense of security, all so he could take the jewel.

I followed him from the Well to the shrine, and from there, to the Sacred Tree. Taking aim, I loosed my arrow, successfully pinning him to the tree. He dropped the jewel, looking at me with a mix of confusion and hurt.

"K-Kikyo. How could . . . I thought . . ." With those words, he fell into an enchanted sleep.

Dropping my bow, I staggered forwards, and picked up the jewel. My little sister and the other villagers rushed forward to see about me.

"Kikyo, you're injured. Let someone . . ." I cut her off.

"It's too late. And so I give this to you." I handed her the jewel. "See that it is burned with my body. It must not fall into the hands of those who would abuse it." I felt my body growing weaker with each moment. It was time for me to go. With one final breath, I pulled the jewel close to me and collapsed.

The injury Inuyasha gave me was fatal, but I had succeeded in my final duty: I had sealed away the demon who betrayed me.


End file.
